Killer with no Shadow
by Serb
Summary: When a muderer is stalking Durmstrang, Severus Snape is sent to help a potions teacher to solve the case. It is a murderer with a cruel, cunning mind and bloodthirsdy heart who kills everybody like a row of falling dominoes. One by one...Read and Review!
1. The killer's first strike

Killer with no Shadow  
  
Author's Note: Hey there! Back again! Since no one told me what to write I just decided to choose the Harry Potter story. This story is inspired thanks to the movie 'Citizen X'. It takes place in Durmstrang, where there is a killer on the loose, killing students. Severus Snape is sent from Hogwarts to help Ivan Todorov, a potions teacher, who is trying to solve the case. Severus Snape and some other HP characters that may be mentioned belong to J.K. Rowling, while the others, including Ivan, belong to me.  
  
///////////////  
  
Ivan Todorov was not a very patient man. Working in one of the greatest wizarding schools, Durmstrang, one could not believe this incident cold actually happen.  
  
Ivan's calm blue eyes raked over the potion he was working. This one deserved special attention. It was so delicate, it had to be handed carefully...  
  
'Professor!' barged in Hugo, a large, bearded man who was the school's caretaker.  
  
'What is it?' Hissed Ivan in annoyance, contact broken with the potion,' Can't you see I'm working? If the Headmaster wants another meeting-'  
  
'No, professor, a student... he's dead...' Hugo, feelings hopeless, trailed off.  
  
'What?' Ivan finally gave full attention to the bigger wizard.  
  
Hugo came in carrying a small boy, and set the limp body on the working table, next to the potion cauldron. Ivan immediately pushed the cauldron away and bent down to inspect the child huddled in blood red Durmstrang robes. He inspected the boy's pulse. Ivan grew pale, and raked a hand through his well-cut, light brown hair.  
  
'You're right, he's dead.' Spoke quietly Ivan,' First year, Hans Klein. Excellent in potions, one of my best students.'  
  
Ivan snapped his attention to Hugo, standing next to him,' Was it Voldemort?'  
  
Hugo shrugged,' Don't know. There was no dark mark.'  
  
Ivan was angry. This wasn't enough.  
  
'Go there and search for some clues. There has to be something more, and don't you dare come back here without anything!' Growled Ivan.  
  
Once he said this, right on cue came three more professors in, with three more bodies on invisible strechers. Ivan stared at them.  
  
'What is the meaning of this?' He asked.  
  
'Three more dead students, Ivan. We found them in the grounds.' Said the witch closest to him, Clarissa Blackmason, professor of Charms, the only English teacher in the entire school.  
  
'Bring them here.' Ivan ordered.  
  
The three bodies were obediently brought to him. Gathering his black potions robes, he examined each of them.  
  
'No Dark Mark?' He asked.  
  
The three teachers shook their heads. No sign of Voldemort.  
  
Something caught the potions teacher's eye. Ivan looked at the marks on the student's neck. He hurried to the next one. The same marks on the other one. They all had the same marks.  
  
'What is it?' piped up Hugo.  
  
Ivan swallowed,' They were all strangled. By bare hands.'  
  
The others gasped. Who would do such a thing?  
  
Ivan noticed that the students' eyes were closed. He went to one of them, and pulled the eyes to open..  
  
********  
  
'Burnt? The eyes were burnt?' Headmaster Igor Karkaroff stared at Ivan, not believing what he said.  
  
Ivan nodded numbly,' Either burnt or...pulled out.'  
  
Karkaroff choked.  
  
'They have been burnt by Hydrochloric acid, an acid which even I have in my storage,' Ivan said dully.  
  
'Couldn't they scream when such acid touched their eyes?' Igor Karkaroff questioned.  
  
'They were burnt or pulled out when the students were dead.' Ivan answered.  
  
The Headmaster looked sharply at him,' you said they were strangled by bare hands. Could you see the fingerprints?'  
  
Ivan shook his head,' No, those hands that strangled them must have worn gloves.'  
  
Karkaroff took in a deep breath,' We must inform the Ministry.'  
  
Ivan looked up at him,' They never listen to us, Headmaster.'  
  
'You don't have to tell me that, Ivan Todorov!' Barked angrily the headmaster.  
  
Ivan grew silent. Karkaroff sighed.  
  
'You are on the case, comrade. Try to solve the murders. There is a killer on the loose, and we have to stop him.' Igor Karkaroff put a hand on the potions teacher's shoulder.  
  
Ivan looked up,' Why do you think the murderer does this? Why destroy the children's eyes?'  
  
'I would advise for you to search up something in the human mind in psychiatry.' Igor said solemnly.  
  
Ivan went out of the office, and closed the door behind him.  
  
Igor Karkaroff sat in his chair.  
  
'Good luck. You'll need help.' He whispered in the silent room.  
  
Author's Note: So? What do you think? I hope it's good for the first chapter! Snape is coming up in next chapter! Come on everybody! Review! 


	2. Enter Severus Snape

Killer with no Shadow  
  
Author's Note: Hey there! Back again! Since no one told me what to write I just decided to choose the Harry Potter story. This story is inspired thanks to the movie 'Citizen X'. It takes place in Durmstrang, where there is a killer on the loose, killing students. Severus Snape is sent from Hogwarts to help Ivan Todorov, a potions teacher, who is trying to solve the case. Severus Snape and some other HP characters that may be mentioned belong to J.K. Rowling, while the others, including Ivan, belong to me.  
  
///////////////  
  
Ivan tiredly slumped into a chair, holding a mug of Butterbeer in one hand, and mechanically ran a hand through his hand.  
  
'Don't look so good, is the investigation going well?' asked a witch behind him, who had a hard voice.  
  
Serpensa Persianidis, the professor of Defense of Dark Arts, and she was a perfect specimen. She had Gorgon blood running through her veins, which her cluster of hissing red snakes that served as her hair was proof. She wore a black dress , a swiveling Durmstrang red cape around her shoulders and elegant black boots made from black unicorn leather. Even though she was pale, Serpensa is a Greek witch, so may obtain a tan for a matter of seconds. Though having a rough manner, she was a good friend.  
  
'You know me, once I start, I don't stop.' Ivan lowered his eyes,' It has been three weeks that I'm doing this.'  
  
A hand was laid on his shoulder,' Igor Karkaroff will get help, you'll see.' Said quietly Serpensa.  
  
The red snakes on her head hissed in agreement. Ivan smiled gratefully. Serpensa swiftly turned around and left the staff room.  
  
********  
  
'Severus, old boy, Durmstrang needs help.' Dumbledore sat in his office, eating a Lemon Drop.  
  
'Oh? What seems to be the problem?' Professor Severus Snape queried, sitting in a chair opposite Dumbledore.  
  
'A murderer, has been on the loose since his first strike three weeks ago.' Dumbledore answered.  
  
'Three weeks? Didn't somebody do something about this?' Snape was amazed,' What if it's Voldemort?'  
  
'There was no Dark Mark, and you know perfectly how the followers like to leave that mark,' Dumbledore sighed,' I cannot force you, but I do ask of you to help them.'  
  
Severus pondered about this. His parents always talked proudly of Durmstrang, and it had a good impression on him. If the Ministry wasn't going to help, somebody should... Severus came to his decision.  
  
'Alright.' He answered.  
  
Dumbledore smiled,' That's my boy!'  
  
The headmaster of Hogwarts got up and walked to the fireplace and took something out of the jar.  
  
'Use this Floo Powder,' Dumbledore explained,' it is extra strong to deport you to Durmstrang. They will be waiting for you.'  
  
'You knew I was going to consent to this, didn't you?' Severus mumbled.  
  
Without another word, he went to the fireplace and sprayed the powder onto himself.  
  
'DURMSTRANG!' Severus yelled, and was deported away.  
  
*********  
  
Ivan Todorov paced up and down next to the fireplace. Which fool is Dumbledore going to send this time?  
  
'Ivan, calm down. I'm sure you will find this person...agreeable.' The Headmaster of Durmstrang stood calmly nearby.  
  
'Ha! As if that Dumbledore could send someone who understands us! The person is most probably going to be some Gryffindor who thinks we're some creatures of evil that hell has sent to earth!' Snorted Ivan angrily.  
  
He knew about the four houses of Hogwarts, and he didn't like how two certain houses (Gryffindor and Hufflepuff) considered Durmstrang to be.  
  
'Ah, he's here!' Igor Karkaroff exclaimed behind him.  
  
******  
  
Severus got up, dusted the soot off his robes and looked around him. There was Igor Karkaroff and a familiar wizard beside him. The wizard was Severus' height, wore black potion teacher's robes, and was not badly built. He had blue eyes and well cut light brown hair that framed his face a bit. The same angry jaw and strong legs..Severus knew this man. He was Severus' friend when they studied in Salazar's Potions University. This was Ivan Todorov.  
  
Ivan was surprised. He didn't expect Severus Snape.  
  
'Severus, what a surprise! I didn't know they sent you!' Ivan greeted him warmly.  
  
'It has been too long. Good to see you again, Ivan.' Severus answered back, but in bit more contained way.  
  
'See? I told you he won't be so bad.' Igor Karkaroff told Ivan.  
  
'I guess that you were right.' Ivan admitted.  
  
Seeing the puzzled look on Snape's face, they remembered that he didn't speak Russian, nor any Slavic or Greek languages.  
  
'Well, Dumbledore must have made a good choice when choosing you,' Karkaroff slammed a hand on Severus' shoulder,' welcome. Ivan will escort you around and tell you more about the misfortunate happenings.'  
  
Ivan steered Severus out of the Headmaster's office, and they together walked down the hall.  
  
'You should meet the teachers,' Ivan told him,' ah, here it is, the staff room.'  
  
Severus was pulled inside into a spacious room, where there were a few teachers.  
  
'This is Serpensa Persianidis, our DADA teacher, actually, DADA master,' Ivan introduced him to a serpentine witch, that reminded him of Medusa, the Gorgon. Severus shook hands with her.  
  
'And this is Heinrich Bluthart, the professor of Magical history,' Ivan indicated to a very Germanic, a very Aryan wizard, who was to well athletically built.  
  
Iavn introduced another teacher, an English teacher, who was the professor of Charms. A thin woman, quiet, and more composed by the name of Clarissa Blackmason, one of the professors who found the bodies of children.  
  
'Will you just stop carrying that cross with you?' Ivan told her irritably, where she wore a small golden cross around her neck,' You are obsessed with Christianity! Don't you know they burned witches?'  
  
'This cross is exorcising evil away,' Clarissa snapped back,' you can see through the windows of the souls, that someone could be possessed, especially vampires..'  
  
Ivan rolled his eyes. He turned to Severus.  
  
'Let's go out.' He told Severus.  
  
The two wizards went out into the hallway.  
  
'Ask me questions.' Ivan told Severus.  
  
Severus nodded,' When you found the bodies, was there something missing?'  
  
Ivan nodded,' Their eyes were burnt or pulled out.'  
  
Snape couldn't believe it, 'What?'  
  
Ivan shifted his eyes left and right, as if to see as if someone was watching,' During the last three weeks, I did an autopsy on the bodies. Apparently, something else is missing.'  
  
'And what is that?' Snape asked.  
  
Ivan swallowed,' Their hearts, the organ, wasn't there. They were removed.'  
  
Author's Note: Is it getting too rough for PG-13? There won't be graphic description. When Ivan speaks with his Durstrang colleagues, they are speaking in Russian, in his mother tongue, just so you know. More will be revealed about Ivan's background next time. Until then, review! 


	3. First Accusations

Killer with no Shadow  
  
Author's Note: Hey there! Back again! Since no one told me what to write I just decided to choose the Harry Potter story. This story is inspired thanks to the movie 'Citizen X'. It takes place in Durmstrang, where there is a killer on the loose, killing students. Severus Snape is sent from Hogwarts to help Ivan Todorov, a potions teacher, who is trying to solve the case. Severus Snape and some other HP characters that may be mentioned belong to J.K. Rowling, while the others, including Ivan, belong to me.  
  
///////////////  
  
Severus Snape moved away from the child's body, over which he was bent at.  
  
'So the murderer rips their hearts out? Along with their eyes?' Snape inquired grimly.  
  
Ivan resisted a shudder from the cold temperature of the dungeons,' Yes.'  
  
Snape looked at him, straight into his eyes,' Don't you find that curious? What use could the murderer have with the children's hearts and eyes?'  
  
'I don't know. Their chests are left intact, as if the murderer carefully aimed straight to the heart with a spell,' Ivan sighed,' It looks as some psychological madman to me. But a careful madman.'  
  
'Which shows that he isn't so mad after all.' Severus commented,' Did you find anything in the analytical books of the human mind?'  
  
Ivan looked down at the body,' He pulls or burns out their eyes: he is afraid that somehow, even if the children are dead, their eyes will show the reflection of their murderer. After all, we all say that the eyes are the windows to the human soul.'  
  
'What about the hearts?' Severus pressed on.  
  
Ivan shrugged,' Don't know about this one yet. Isn't it strange that the murderer pulled out their hearts and eyes AFTER they die?'  
  
Severus nodded,' That means the person doesn't like suffrage.. and has experience with children.'  
  
Ivan thought about this, and sat down. He had a worried expression on his face.  
  
'What is wrong?' Severus asked.  
  
Ivan drew in a deep breath,' Severus, I'm married. My wife is Eliza and I have a ten-year-old daughter by the name of Adela. I'm worried, for she will be eleven next year and join Durmstrang for her education. I'm afraid.. that the killer will still be on the loose.'  
  
Severus stepped towards him,' We'll get him. Believe me, Ivan, he will be caught. '  
  
Ivan looked up and smiled.  
  
Suddenly, the doors burst open and Serpensa strode in, the snakes angrily framing her face,' Ivan, pamé!'  
  
('Pamé' in Greek means 'Let's go!')  
  
'Why?' Ivan asked, alertly.  
  
'There was another attack.' She answered shortly.  
  
Ivan bounded out of his chair, while Severus followed closely behind. They followed her and she led them outside into the school yards. Several teachers were there along with the Headmaster, Igor Karkaroff. Once he spotted them, he strode towards them.  
  
Igor Karkaroff pulled Severus Snape and Ivan Todorov aside,' A second year is the victim here. I already checked her- she also has burnt eyes.'  
  
Ivan strode towards the crowd of teachers, and pushed them aside. He looked down at the body and was shocked.  
  
'Natalia Clissana, the niece of one of my colleagues.' Ivan said quietly, while he shook with anger,' Why on earth did he choose her?'  
  
The girl with dark raven hair and had tanned skin, now looked pale and her eyes were closed. From behind the crowd, a woman's voice could be heard.  
  
'Move aside, move aside! What is going on?' The snappish woman's voice came from behind.  
  
The woman pushed herself to the front, and stared at the body. She was probably a gypsy or Romany origin, with the traditional beads and dresses for predictiong the future. She was the Durmstrang Divination teacher.  
  
'No! I won't believe it! Natalia!' She screamed, falling on her knees, and bursting into tears.  
  
Igor Karkaroff stepped forward,' I'm sorry, Romana. I know your niece, Natalia was all you had left, after her mother and father died and the brother graduated this school. I cannot express my deepest condolences.'  
  
Romana looked up, a strange cold aura surrounding her,' The killer must be punished.'  
  
Her eyes swiped angrily towards Professor Bluthart,' Where were you during the killings? Hm?! Everybody perfectly knows in this school that you hunt in the nearby forest as a sport, and I won't be surprised if you started hunting down the students!'  
  
The German went red with anger,' Nein! I may hunt animals, but that doesn't mean I would kill the students! I would not kill anybody hurt because of we being in bad terms, Romana!'  
  
The gypsy Divinationist hissed back,' Well, at least I don't go around and threaten students when they-'  
  
'Enough!' Yelled firmly the Headmaster,' Do not go accusing if you don't have proof, Romana! Will you and Professor Bluthard ever stop quarreling over something that may not even be true?!'  
  
The crowd of teachers were just going to join in the argument, and many of them were against Bluthart. Ivan pulled Snape away from the crowd, and they both walked off.  
  
'Why is the Divinations professor so against the History professor?' Snape asked.  
  
'You said the answer: she is for future predictions, and he is for the factly past.' Ivan answered.  
  
Snape thought about it,' I think she may have joined the meaning of his surname, which means "blood heart" in German. The murderer had ripped hearts out of the students. What does she mean by when he threatens students?'  
  
'Oh, just a way of his,' Ivan answered carelessly,' He would threaten that he would kill them if they wouldn't hand in the homework on time-just a way of controlling the History class. You have to be hard on children these days.'  
  
'Still, he has the strong build of a strangler,' Snape said quietly,' But it is too...obvious- too much of a coincidence. As if the killer wants to put us on the wrong path.'  
  
'One thing is for sure: Professor Bluthart is on the suspects list.' Ivan confirmed.  
  
Author's Note: Sorry for not updating so long! I had a busy week! This story may have many 'roundabouts' leading you to suspect different people. Last time, peope gave so little reviews! Please more reviews! Come on everybody! 


	4. An attack on Professor Snape!

Killer with no Shadow  
  
Author's Note: Hey there! Back again! Since no one told me what to write I just decided to choose the Harry Potter story. This story is inspired thanks to the movie 'Citizen X'. It takes place in Durmstrang, where there is a killer on the loose, killing students. Severus Snape is sent from Hogwarts to help Ivan Todorov, a potions teacher, who is trying to solve the case. Severus Snape and some other HP characters that may be mentioned belong to J.K. Rowling, while the others, including Ivan, belong to me.  
  
At seven the sun that lit my world blew out,  
  
Leaving me only mist. Through which I probed  
  
my way to school, guessed wildly at the sums  
  
Whose marks on the board I couldn't even see...  
  
...I wake up with a headache, chew all day  
  
Aspirins, go to bed dispirited,  
  
Still with a dull pain somewhere in my skull,  
  
And sleep. Then, in my dreams, the sun comes out.  
  
(The first and the closing verses of 'With half an eye' by Philip Hobsbaum. Sad and bitter poem.)  
  
//////////////  
  
How could somebody do this? Who could be so heartless? Definitely not Bluthart, why the man has a family of his own. But somebody is trying to put the blame on him, he was sure of it.  
  
Severus Snape sat alone in his office back in Hogwarts. He only went to Durmstrang during weekends, he still has to teach. His eyes traveled to a jar of pickled frogs, those dead, staring eyes, looking back at him..  
  
Something didn't make sense. He felt as if he could find the culprit easily, there was an answer in front of him. It was just that he couldn't see it. There must be a pattern, but Severus didn't know which.  
  
Snape tore his eyes away from those of the pickled frog, and he looked down at the homework he was marking. Potter. Snape smirked. Another failing mark, the boy copied everything from Granger.  
  
Putting down the mark, Snape felt better. There, you don't have to hide behind that Granger mudblood every time. Snape, even if he was working on the side of light, hasn't converted into their was wholly. He still thought of muggle borns as mudbloods and not worthy, but they didn't deserve to be killed.  
  
Speaking about mudbloods..that murderer had definitely strange ways of killing. So muggle. Perhaps the murderer was a mudblood.  
  
Severus stopped working. Yes, that definetly made sense: Durmstrang was full of Purebloods, some uppity mudblood probably wants to stop them- in a horrible way. It must be a teacher that's a mudblood.  
  
Snape immediately stood up and walked towards the fireplace. He took a handful of Floo powder, lit the fire, and threw the powder in. Severus stepped inside.  
  
'Durmstrang!' Severus ordered and was departed.  
  
*****  
  
Severus walked down the halls of Durmstrang, going to a specific destination. Ivan Todorov would know the answer, who is a mudblood here.  
  
Snape suddenly stopped, and turned around. Nobody. Strange, Severus thought that he was followed.  
  
He slowly turned around, and walked more steadily towards the office of Todorov. Severus put his hand on the handle...  
  
From behind, Severus heard a swoosh as if something flew at him. His fast reflexes were not ready. Severus felt a pain at the back of his head and then fell into blackness.  
  
*******  
  
'Severus! Are you alright?' Snape heard a familiar voice above him.  
  
He opened his eyes, and his vision adjusted to take in the shapes before him: Ivan Todorov, Serpensa Persianidis, Igor Karkaroff and ..Dumbledore?  
  
'Headmaster Dumbedore? What are you doing here?' Severus asked, trying to get up.  
  
Dumbledore laid a grim hand on his shoulder to stay him down,' You were attacked.'  
  
Severus blinked, and looked around. Definitely a hospital wing, but not Hogwarts, probably Durmstrang.  
  
'Attacked? By whom?' Snape asked.  
  
Ivan stepped in, and held up in his hand some dirt,' The only evidence I found was this: some dirt from the Herbologist's garden. Probably one of his pots hit your head. I have a suspicion that he was the one that wanted to kill you. The Herbology professor will be coming here in a few minutes.'  
  
Into the Hospital Wing came rushing a small, chubby wizard, with a curly moustache,' You called for me, Headmaster?'  
  
Igor Karkaroff turned swiftly around,' Yes, I did, Grus.'  
  
The wizard nervously shifted around,' What for?'  
  
'For your arrest.' Answered the Headmaster back coldly.  
  
'What?!' The chubby man with a Bulgarian accent answered back.  
  
'We know you did it, Professor Grus,' Ivan hissed, stepping in,' you may just as well admit it.'  
  
'I didn't do anything!' Grus answered back, ready to burst into tears.  
  
Severus frowned. It was another trick of the murderer.  
  
'Ivan?' Snape spoke up,' Is he a half blood?'  
  
Ivan thought a bit more, and then seemed to come up to a conclusion,' Why, yes he is!'  
  
There it fitted perfectly. A mudblood, hating all purebloods, strong enough to kill them...too perfect.  
  
'No. It isn't him.' Severus said quietly.  
  
'What are you talking about?' Ivan exclaimed.  
  
'Another trick of the murderer! Don't you see? It is too perfect!' Severus snapped,' The murderer knew I was coming too close to the truth! He wanted to kill me too, and put somebody else as a scapegoat! '  
  
Igor Karkaroff looked around at the wizards and witch in this room,' My friends, I'm afraid we aren't safe here. The murderer will strike again.'  
  
'What do you plan to do?' Inquired Serpensa.  
  
Karkaroff swallowed,' I'm going to shut down Durmstrang.'  
  
Author's Note: Karkaroff is shutting Durmstrang! What will happen to the murderer? For more information, review! I'm hurt! Nobody's reviewing, and I'm writing my fingers off for this! Sniff! Come on! Review! Come on, press the button! 


	5. A second attack

Killer with no Shadow  
  
Author's Note: Hey there! Back again! Since no one told me what to write I just decided to choose the Harry Potter story. This story is inspired thanks to the movie 'Citizen X'. It takes place in Durmstrang, where there is a killer on the loose, killing students. Severus Snape is sent from Hogwarts to help Ivan Todorov, a potions teacher, who is trying to solve the case. Severus Snape and some other HP characters that may be mentioned belong to J.K. Rowling, while the others, including Ivan, belong to me.  
  
Those woods are lovely, dark and deep,  
  
But I have promises to keep,  
  
And miles to go before I sleep,  
  
And miles to go before I sleep.  
  
('Stopping by Woods on a snowy Evening' written by Robert Frost.)  
  
//////////////  
  
'Closing down the school? Headmaster, please reconsider this!' Ivan trailed after Igor Karkaroff.  
  
'It'll be only for a while, Ivan, until we catch the murderer.' Spoke quietly Igor, until they reached the Headmaster's office.  
  
'The murderer will wait until the students come back again! He may be mad, but that is not the same as stupid. The murderer is patient and cunning!' Hissed Ivan angrily.  
  
Igor Karkaroff whirled towards him,' You think I don't know that? The damn Ministry won't lift their behinds up even if their own children are dying! They don't care unless Voldemort is involved!'  
  
Ivan never saw the Headmaster so angry before. He heard that Igor was involved in Death Eater activities in the past, but his name was cleaned. Contrary as the westerners may see him, he did care about his students, though he never showed it.  
  
'I'm sorry..comrade. I never wanted to burst like this. Forgive me.' Suddenly, Igor Karkaroff regained his composure. "Comrade" he only called his close friends.  
  
Ivan nodded, understanding,' Alright, close the school for a while. But I'm warning you: the murderer will not reveal himself until there is at least only one student in this school.'  
  
With that, Ivan turned around and left the headmaster of Durmstrang standing in front of his office door.  
  
Ivan grumbling went to the Hospital Wing, to visit Severus Snape. He opened the door, and saw Snape sitting upwards on the bed, frowning at not being let to get out of it. Ivan mustered a smile.  
  
'Hello! You look well enough!' Ivan gave a false expression of enthusiasm.  
  
But Snape saw through this,' False smiles don't suit you, Ivan. What is wrong?'  
  
Ivan sighed and collapsed into a chair,' The murderer won't be found during the closing of the school. I know it.'  
  
As Snape regarded it thoughtfully, into the ward came Professor Blackmason, the Charms teacher. She was carrying a bunch of flowers, orchids.  
  
'For you, Professor. I hope you are feeling better, I got these from the Greenhouses. They are fresh,' Blackmason put them at the bed stand, and looked at the two wizards.  
  
'Why are you staring at us like a vampire at the golden cross?' Ivan snapped irritatingly, but immediately regretted it.  
  
Clarissa Blackmason paled, while Severus gave him a questioning look. Ivan sighed again.  
  
'Sorry Clarissa, didn't mean to offend you. It's just a common Slavic expression, Severus, "to stare at the golden cross like a vampire",' Ivan explained himself.  
  
Blackmason relaxed, smiled, and went away.  
  
'I have to get out of here,' Snape whispered,' The ward is going to make me go mad!'  
  
Ivan nodded sympathetically,' I know. The nurse does the same to me, even if I only scratched myself.'  
  
Snape slid out of the bed, and behind the curtains to dress. In a few minutes, he was ready, and they both sneaked out.  
  
Walking down freely the corridors of Durmstrang, the two wizards discussed the point of the murders.  
  
'So the murderer is a psycho. Right?' Ivan asked carefully.  
  
'Yes, but a clever psycho.' Severus confirmed.  
  
'But why does he kill?' Ivan asked.  
  
'That is a something we have to find out, along with another important thing,' Snape said.  
  
'What?' Ivan asked.  
  
'Who is the murderer, first of all.' Snape answered curtly.  
  
The students were getting ready to leave. Most of them were on the shipyard, waiting for the Durmstrang ship to sail. But something was wrong..  
  
'Professors!' A student ran towards Snape and Todorov.  
  
'What is it?' Ivan turned around.  
  
'Another...attack...boy...killed!' The student gasped for her breath.  
  
The two wizards quickly strode towards the grounds. There, a group of students were standing in a circle, whispering in hushed voices.  
  
'Move away!' Barked Ivan, pushing the students aside.  
  
In the middle, there was a boy, his lips pale and eyes closed. His red Durmstrang robes fell around him like a bloody puddle. Ivan bent down and touched the boy. Cold and clammy.  
  
'How is this possible?' Ivan whispered.  
  
Snape nodded towards the forest. A perfect place to commit murders.  
  
'But how did the murderer drag the boy until here?' Ivan frowned.  
  
Snape was getting a nasty suspicion. He didn't want to choose too soon.  
  
Other teachers were coming, but Ivan couldn't hear them. He just kneeled there, holding the dead boy. Then he got up and started to move away from the scene. His eyes were lowered as if in shame.  
  
Snape caught up with him,' Where are you going Ivan?' He asked coldly.  
  
But still Ivan couldn't hear him. All he could see was the vision of the dead boy in front of him..cold, lifeless. Dead.  
  
Author's Note: Poor Ivan! He's feeling depressive! Igor Karkaroff does care about his students: remember in the fourth book, when Victor Krum was attacked? Karkaroff practically burst out at Dumbledore, not caring for anything! By the way, any reviews for me? This chapter was crappily written, but I really need more reviews! 


	6. Drowning in sighs of misery

Killer with no Shadow  
  
Author's Note: Hey there! Back again! This story is inspired thanks to the movie 'Citizen X'. It takes place in Durmstrang, where there is a killer on the loose, killing students. Severus Snape is sent from Hogwarts to help Ivan Todorov, a potions teacher, who is trying to solve the case. Severus Snape and some other HP characters that may be mentioned belong to J.K. Rowling, while the others, including Ivan, belong to me.  
  
//////////////  
  
Ivan sat alone in his office. The cheery sun from the window silhouetted the miserable wizard in darkness. Ivan just stared dully at the student's papers in front of him, on the desk, but words on them had no meanings. The writing on them became blurry to him.  
  
Professor Ivan Todorov buried his face into his hands, mind overridden by images of the children: dead, lifeless with no eyes to show the fear of the murderer from the shadows.  
  
The dead boy, the last victim, laying on the floor, so pale, so dead..  
  
No one to help him, Ivan's mind taunted him, those children needed help, and he didn't come. What kind of a professor, the protector of students was he?  
  
Ivan could feel shadows closing in around him, choking him, a rising feeling that he hadn't felt in years.  
  
Why did his eyes sting?  
  
Ivan pulled himself together firmly. No, not now. He won't let tears out now. He hadn't before- he won't do it now.  
  
Ivan..professor..he could feel the children's screams come here: deprived of their basic needs- their eyes and hearts.  
  
'Ivan, turn around,' Said a voice from behind him, towards the door.  
  
Reluctantly, the Potions teacher turned around and his blue eyes met with those coal black ones of the Potions Master of Hogwarts, Severus Snape.  
  
'You are disrupted.' Severus said it as a statement, not question.  
  
'Those children..' Ivan whispered,' It's as if the murderer has no..'  
  
'Reflection?' Snape inquired.  
  
Ivan nodded,' As if the killer has no shadow. The eyes of the children are destroyed, as if those eyes will show who the murderer is: that he is someone and since he is someone, he has a shadow and reflection.'  
  
Snape spoke up,' We have work to do. Despairing over them would not help.'  
  
'You are right,' Ivan stood up,' Let's go.'  
  
Ivan trailed behind Snape, but before he went out of his office, he turned around and his eyes locked with the moving magic photograph of his family on the desk. Suddenly, fear and those images of the dead children filled his mind again.  
  
********  
  
'So, some ingredient is missing from your Potion's Cabinet?' Snape raised his eyebrow.  
  
Ivan confirmed furiously,' And I'm sure it is stolen by that murderer! It's dragon blood stolen!'  
  
Severus thought about it carefully,' Dragon blood, one of it's twelve uses is that it is used to increase energy in the human organism. This could also be slightly altered to serve as a strength increasing potion.'  
  
'This means that the murderer uses a strangth-increasing potion. What for? To be strong enough to kill the children or feel stronger?' Ivan frowned.  
  
But Severus stopped his thoughts,' First, we must see if the soil that you found beside me, when I was attacked, if it really comes from the Greenhouses.'  
  
Ivan and Severus went towards the Greenhouses, and were met by Professor Grus, the Herbology teacher. The small, chubby wizard grinned nervously at them.  
  
'I'm sorry about the attack, Professor Snape, when you thought that I could have attacked you. But believe me, I would never do something like this!' Explained Grus, in his Greek accent.  
  
Snape held up his hand,'We would just like to see if the soil that Professor Todorov had found, belongs to your Greenhouses.'  
  
Severus held over the small sample of the soil to Professor Grus, and the Herblogist examined it. He frowned.  
  
'Anything wrong?' Questioned Ivan.  
  
'This soil... I don't use this kind of soil to tend my plants in the Greenhouses.' Grus furrowed his brow, and twirled his moustache in concentration,' I use a different one, from the forest. But this one is well dealt with..so clean.'  
  
Snape shot a look towards Ivan, and Ivan nodded in return. Snape took away the soil sample, but then took out a paper with a picture sketched on it. Ivan couldn't see what it was.  
  
'Do you have this plant in your Greenhouse?' Snape asked, handing it to Grus.  
  
Grus just shot one look at the sketch, and his eyes beamed in recognition, but he said,' Ah, that plant! No, I don't have it in my Greenhouses. Never did.'  
  
Snape nodded, and put the sketch away. He turned away, with Ivan.  
  
When they were at a good distance, Ivan asked,' What was in this sketch?'  
  
Snape shot him a smug, nasty smile,' All in good time, Ivan. This has led me to point to a particular person who might be involved with the murders.'  
  
Author's Note: Hmm? Who is this person? Do not get tricked easily: I put much necessary information, but you have to pick it up. No, don't say just yet who do you think it is- you will find out in the end.  
  
By the way, concerning the reviews: I know this time most of you won't review, but please try to! Maybe all of you are reading this, but how would I know it if you don't review? So, kindly, please do! 


	7. Pieces of puzzle connecting

Killer with no Shadow  
  
Author's Note: Hey there! Back again! This story is inspired thanks to the movie 'Citizen X'. It takes place in Durmstrang, where there is a killer on the loose, killing students. Severus Snape is sent from Hogwarts to help Ivan Todorov, a potions teacher, who is trying to solve the case. Severus Snape and some other HP characters that may be mentioned belong to J.K. Rowling, while the others, including Ivan, belong to me.  
  
//////////////  
  
Pacing up and down the room, Ivan waited for Severus Snape to finish his own autopsy on the bodies of the children. Just as Ivan calmed himself down, and sat on a chair, Snape came out of the private Potion's Room, taking his gloves off.  
  
'So? Did you see anything?' Ivan asked anxiously.  
  
Snape looked at him,' Now I can see why you didn't succeed to be a fully- fledged Potion's Master like many of the others. You didn't notice something.'  
  
Ivan waved the insult aside,' So, what did you notice?'  
  
'The hearts weren't ripped, nor cut out, but burnt,' Severus stated simply.  
  
'What? How-' Ivan was interrupted.  
  
'The murderer must have sent a burning spell, to destroy the heart, but then used a healing spell, just to heal the outside skin,' Severus explained impatiently.  
  
'That is disgusting, but why would the murderer go through such extreme measures to do it?' Ivan asked.  
  
'Don't you think that it has something to do with the murderer's character?' Snape pressed on.  
  
'Alright, it might, but how would the murderer have time to do something like this? The children were murdered just in a few minutes- the murderer couldn't have had time to kill them all,' Ivan persisted.  
  
'Yes, it's as if the murderer had to BUY time,' Snape spoke in a riddled way.  
  
Ivan frowned,' You don't think that the murderer...has a Time Turner?'  
  
'Exactly.' Snape said.  
  
Ivan thought about it. He knew only one person who had the Time Turner.  
  
*********  
  
'You are accusing me?' Hissed angrily Serpensa, along with her snakes that served as her hair.  
  
'I know that you are the only person in this entire establishment who has the Time Turner!' Ivan fought angrily,' The Headmaster gave it personally to you so you could be in charge of it. So give up and admit!'  
  
'How dare you accuse me?' Growled Serpensa Persianidis, her amber eyes glowing,' That I could be the one to kill the children? Ade re! You know me well enough!'  
  
('Ade re!' in Greek is a form of expressing someone's irritation.)  
  
'Serpensa,' Ivan began, more calmly,' I don't want to blame you. You are one of my closest friends, and I know you'll never do anything like this.'  
  
'You better know!' Serpensa threatened,' I had the Time Turner missing for some time! Just found it yesterday.'  
  
Ivan thought about this. Something didn't make sense.  
  
After some time, Ivan left her and went to search for Snape. On the way he bumped into Clarissa, who was carrying a few Orchids in a pot filled with earth.  
  
'Oh, hello! Ivan, I almost spilled this soil on you!' Gently scolded Clarissa Blackmason, cleaning the earth that fell from her pot onto her robes.  
  
'Sorry about this,' Mumbled Ivan.  
  
Suddenly, Severus Snape came up on them.  
  
'Severus, I was looking for you!' Ivan exclaimed, 'I have something to tell you...'  
  
'Alright, Ivan, we are going,' Severus confirmed, glancing at the pot of Orchids in Clarissa's arms,' Those orchids look unwell, Professor Blackmason. Did you water them?'  
  
Clarissa looked at her orchids, frowning,' Yes, they were fine when Professor Grus gave them to me. I think it's the soil from the forest that he uses- it is bad for gentle plants such as orchids.'  
  
'Tend them a bit more,' Snape gave her the advice.  
  
Severus and Ivan walked away, and once they were out of ear's length, Ivan started talking.  
  
'Serpensa claims that her Time Turner was lost, but I know better: it was stolen and then returned secretly,' Ivan said.  
  
'Right you are,' Snape said grimly,' We only need a little push, so as to say that the murderer has been discovered.'  
  
They were walking down the school grounds, when they came up to Professor Bluthart, walking briskly around the lake.  
  
'Guten morgen, Professor Bluthart,' Ivan said to the Aryan wizard,' Having a stroll?'  
  
'Ja, a brisk walk does me good,' Answered Bluthart in a rough German accent,' Enough to get me away from that mad Romana for blaming me for her niece's death.'  
  
'The woman is probably upset about it,' Severus spoke.  
  
Bluthart snorted,' Ja, of course. But sometimes I think she's on..oh, what do muggles call it..ah, drugs! '  
  
'Drugs?' Ivan raised an eyebrow.  
  
Bluthart nodded,' Anything wouldn't surprise me. Well, I won't be in your way, I have a walk that needs to keep going.'  
  
As the Professor of Magical History walked away, Ivan said,' Well, I think we can discuss now about the case.'  
  
Snape watched as Bluthart walked away,' I don't think there is anything anymore to talk about,' he murmured,' he reminded me of something.'  
  
'You mean...that you know who the murderer is?' Ivan stared at him.  
  
'Yes, and we have proof. I think,' Snape looked back at Ivan,' that it is time to reveal who the murderer is.'  
  
Author's Note: Yes! The last chapters are coming up! You will find out who it is, never you worry! Now, about the reviews..can somebody give a few reviews? Please? 


	8. Revealing behind the curtain

Killer with no Shadow  
  
Author's Note: Hey there! Back again! This story is inspired thanks to the movie 'Citizen X'. It takes place in Durmstrang, where there is a killer on the loose, killing students. Severus Snape is sent from Hogwarts to help Ivan Todorov, a potions teacher, who is trying to solve the case. Severus Snape and some other HP characters that may be mentioned belong to J.K. Rowling, while the others, including Ivan, belong to me.  
  
//////////////  
  
Every teacher gathered in the staff room. Two Ministry officials have been brought in to witness the whole scenario and take the murderer to Azkaban. However, they had to wait.  
  
The last to come in were Severus Snape and Ivan Todorov. They had discussed about this- the clues all matched, they knew who the murderer was.  
  
Ivan could still not believe it. To be-  
  
No. Snape will talk first, and the murderer would confess under him.  
  
'Good day, professors of Durmstrang,' Snape began,' you have not been told why had you been summoned here. I will tell you the news- we solved the case.'  
  
The room exploded into series of questions:  
  
'What?'  
  
'Do you know who the murderer is?'  
  
'Why did he do it?'  
  
Even the ministry officials began to feel uncomfortable. Snape held up his hand to silence the crowd.  
  
'When you think about it, it was not very difficult,' Severus explained,' The clues were in front of us, but we didn't know how to put them together.'  
  
'A puzzle,' Ivan said quietly from his chair.  
  
'Exactly.' Snape confirmed.  
  
'Well, who is it?' Karkaroff asked impatiently.  
  
'We will get to it very soon,' Severus assured coldly,' But first, I will tell you what led me to it.'  
  
Everyone listened carefully.  
  
'There is something that Professor Todorov and I have not told to anyone: Dragon Blood was missing from his Potions Cabinet and,' Snape swiveled his eyes to the occupants,' the children's hearts were burned.'  
  
Cries of horror shook throughout the room.  
  
'First: the Dragon Blood. It is used often a stimulant, but can be altered to be a strengthening potion- the attacker is in reality weak in physical strength, therefore excludes all our strongly built teachers. Professor Bluthart reminded me of this yesterday, when he supposed that Professor Romana was on drugs,' Severus confirmed the first fact.  
  
Romana shot a dirty look at Bluthart.  
  
'Second: how did the murderer manage to kill the children in such a short time, and perform all his acts? The answer is Professor Persianidis' Time Turner, that has been stolen from her, making her think that she lost it. The murderer used the Time Turner to go back in time- and stay in a particular moment to kill the victim,' Snape said.  
  
'How? Even if you're back in time, the time keeps moving?' Serpensa aked, confused.  
  
'Did you ever notice that if you go back in time, the sands of the Time Turner (the Time Turner is an hourglass) keep moving? By using a simple halting spell, the sands would stop moving, therefore stopping time,' Severus confirmed second fact.  
  
'Amazing!' A couple of teachers exclaimed.  
  
'Finally, the third fact: when I was attacked. That bit of earth that you found near me, Ivan, actually came from a pot in which you keep flowers. I thought that I was being followed, when attacked, maybe even by someone using an Invisibility Cloak. The truth is that no one was even behind me!' Severus exclaimed.  
  
'Then how were you attacked?' Asked Bluthart.  
  
Snape smirked,' The murderer used a particularly strong Wingardium Leviosa spell, causing the pot to fly behind me, and swing straight at me and knock me out.'  
  
'But why would the murderer want to kill you?' Karkaroff asked.  
  
'I was going closer to the truth. It is strange that the murderer revealed himself even at our first meeting,' Snape spoke in riddles.  
  
'Who is he?' Serpensa asked.  
  
'That is the trick- it not a he, but she.' Snape turned around, facing a particular person, sitting in a chair,' Would you care to explain it yourself, Professor Clarissa Blackmason?'  
  
Author's Note: Ahhh! Murderer revealed! I hope I surprised you with Clarissa Blackmason! Shocked and confused, don't let it stop you from reviewing! 


	9. Killer with no Shadow

Killer with no Shadow  
  
Author's Note: Hey there! Back again! This story is inspired thanks to the movie 'Citizen X'. It takes place in Durmstrang, where there is a killer on the loose, killing students. Severus Snape is sent from Hogwarts to help Ivan Todorov, a potions teacher, who is trying to solve the case. Severus Snape and some other HP characters that may be mentioned belong to J.K. Rowling, while the others, including Ivan, belong to me.  
  
//////////////  
  
There was a pregnant pause.  
  
All eyes were fixed to a dark haired English witch, Professor of Charms, Clarissa Blackmason.  
  
There were no hysterics, no tears, no denial, nothing. She just sat there drinking her tea, calmly. She looked up at the teachers as if they were an interesting specimen.  
  
'How did you find out?' She asked quietly.  
  
'Doesn't a Slavic saying say "Stop looking like a vampire staring at the golden cross" ?' Snape asked grimly,' From the beginning you were introduced as a strict Christian, you even betrayed yourself.'  
  
'Really?' She raised an eyebrow.  
  
Snape nodded,' You yourself proclaimed that vampires should be banished, for they hide in the souls of the human beings.'  
  
He sharply turned around, and glared at the room,' It is said that vampires can be killed by driving stakes though their hearts. Witches, demons and izards were burnt by Christians so as they could return where they belong: in hell,' Snape looked back at Blackmason, 'Apparently, our murderer used a combined process.'  
  
Clarissa stared back at him,' Well done. Burning hearts is an excellent way to get rid of demons and vampires.'  
  
Ivan felt sick. He just wanted to get up and strangle her for being so calm. But he sustained himself. She'll get what she deserves... he thought.  
  
'There was another thing that gave you out,' Snape stated,' The orchids.'  
  
People were now confused.  
  
'When I was attacked, by you, you visited me at the Hospital Wing, offering me orchids from Professor Grus' Greenhouses,' Severus said,' I visited him, and found out that he never had such plants in his Greenhouses.'  
  
Snape took out of his pocket the piece of paper he had shown to Grus, that the Herbology Professor denied he had, but that it was familiar. On the piece of paper was a picture of an orchid sketched on it.  
  
'That dirt that was found beside me wasn't from Professor Grus' greenhouses, for even the Professor stated that "it was too clean". No, the dirt came from a shop: it was bought.' Severus whispered,' You put the blame on the Bulgarian- Greek halfblood, from a part muggle family, a person strong enough to kill that children, while you took Dragon Blood as a strengthening potion.'  
  
Severus felt angry. He wouldn't stop just yet.  
  
'Everybody knows that Professor Blackmason's orchids aren't doing so well in her pot. I commented myself that they looked sick. However, I know, that if you would remove that flowers from the pot, they would not have any roots below the stem.' Snape said grimly,' She accidentally found out that we would investigate her, so she bought a pot with dirt, and put in the flowers that she had before, so as not to arouse suspicion.  
  
'When somebody buys separately flowers, from a shop, the roots are of course immediately cut off. And plants quickly dry up if they have no roots..unless they grow out again.'  
  
The explanation was perfect. There were no objections. Clarissa was a Charms teacher, the only strong enough to make spells that would stop the time in a Time Turner, or make a vase fly a long distance to knock somebody out.  
  
Snape turned towards the Ministry officials,' I think that we have enough explanation and proof for you to arrest her.'  
  
The amazed officials snapped out of trance, and grabbed the teacher.  
  
Clarissa looked angrily at them,' Those children were possessed by vampires! They must have been cleaned, or they would spread the dirt onto the others! The Inquisitioners were right to burn them!'  
  
Ivan strode up to her,' No one has a right to choose if somebody is evil or not when the judgement belongs to God. Especially by cowardly blinding them so as the victims not to tell who did this to them. Is this justice?' Ivan whispered angrily.  
  
Clarissa shot a last dirty look at him, as the Ministry officials dragged her away.  
  
Ivan stared after them. 'I hate religion.' He stated.  
  
Igor Karkaroff went out to him,' Well done! I also have to congratulate you, Professor Snape, in an outstanding job. Never would I have guessed that it could be her...'  
  
Severus walked over to Ivan,' It looks as if everyone is safe now. You wouldn't have to worry about your daughter coming to school with danger.'  
  
Ivan smiled to himself,' Yes, Adela...' he turned to Severus,' Thank you.'  
  
Severus Snape smirked,' You did something too. And do not get sentimental now. I have to leave.'  
  
Ivan nodded half-heartedly as escorted Snape to the fireplace,' Farewell then.'  
  
Snape raised an eyebrow,' And I thought that you learned until now: there is no farewell, even with evil. The only thing you can say is: Goodbye!'  
  
With that, Snape hurled the Floo Powder into flames, and yelled,' Hogwarts, Dumbledore's Study!' and was gone.  
  
Ivan stared at the place where Snape was. He smiled to himself, feeling as if a cage had been removed off his shoulders.  
  
********  
  
Snape arrived safely at Hogwarts, and the teachers wanted to drag some information out of him. After giving them a tongue lashing, and they read the story in the newspapers, everything went back to normal.  
  
Ivan went back to his family, and Durmstrang opened, becoming safe again.  
  
But what happened to ex- Professor Blackmason? She was found guilty in court, and was sent to a death sentence in Azkaban.  
  
*******  
  
A long way from anywhere, Clarissa Blackmason was pushed into a cell in Azkaban. Fools! She thought furiously, I was doing them a favor!  
  
Something rustled in the dark corners. She quickly looked there. What was that?  
  
It came closer. Tall, wearing dark robes with clammy hands, silence everywhere. It wore a hood.  
  
It was a creature that sent fear into hearts of magic folk. Clarissa stared at it with fear.  
  
'No..'she croaked.  
  
As the creature swooped above her, it pulled its hood down. Clarissa felt her soul ripped out and her last moments of life, as the Dementor performed the Kiss on her...  
  
THE END  
  
Author's Note: Creepy eh? Executed by a Dementor. This is the end of my story. Oh * hears twinkling music outside* excuse me * Serb grabs an axe and runs out to kill the ice cream man (that damn music!). She leaves a note on the desk: "Please leave reviews! Thanks!". Screeching of tires heard outside, screaming, but ice cream man is still alive to torture another day. Damn!* 


End file.
